It’s the fourth year in which The Test Kitchen has featured in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards and things keep on getting better and better (last year, The Test Kitchen was awarded 28th position).

Celebrity chef and owner of The Test Kitchen Luke Dale-Roberts was in New York City to receive the accolade.

“The award is an incredible vote of confidence for me and my team,” he said. “I do what I love with precision and artistry, and being awarded for this validates what I do every day.”

Dale-Roberts is known for his inventive approach in the kitchen, a passion for excellence (attention to the finest detail) and for his fearlessness in experimentation with new tastes, flavours and techniques.

As The Worlds 50 Best website states: “Chef Luke Dale-Roberts is the closest thing Cape Town has to a rock star chef ­– and with good reason. Combining culinary braggadocio and classical technique, his food would stand out in any of the world’s gastronomic capitals, but in the South African city, it’s pretty much unique”.

The Test Kitchen has a host of local and international awards, including the Cacao Barry One to Watch Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards (2013). In addition, The Test Kitchen was also Winner of Continental Restaurant Awards: Best Restaurant in Africa for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Locally, The Test Kitchen has been named Restaurant of the Year from 2012 to 2015 at the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards.

At the rate The Test Kitchen is moving up the list, (it was in position 74 in 2012), it may one day soon find a place among the top 10…

Images courtesy The Test Kitchen.

A new chapter for The Test Kitchen

Not intent on standing still, Dale-Roberts has new plans afoot for his flagship restaurant. The Test Kitchen will close in mid-August for a major decor refurbishment. He promises a more intimate space. “It’s time to redefine this creative space, which has always been my focus in terms of creating the most flavourful, exciting and challenging food,” he says.

A re-imagined space and dining experience will be on offer for diners when The Test Kitchen re-opens on 4 October.

The Test Kitchen is located in The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. Book online or call: +27 (0)21 447 2337. (It’s advisable to book in advance.)